Surviving Hogwarts: An Outsiders Guide
by ImTheHurricane
Summary: OC FIC! Carlie Morrison has to attend Hogwarts because her old magic school closes. She goes into things thinking that this will most likely be the worst year ever because she has to face two former enemies who also wind up going to Hogwarts and she's awkward and uptight. Will it be the worst year of her life? Or will it be a far better one than she could have imagined?
1. Outsider

++ DISCLAIMER FIRST GUYS: I do not own the Harry Potter canonverse, or any of it's characters or events. I'm not doing this to make any kind of profit and I'm not doing this to piss anyone off, either. I only hope I do justice to the characters from the canon universe that I do use in this fanfiction. J.K Rowling owns everything but my self inserted original character Carlie Morrison and the events I put the poor kid into during the course of my fanfiction. Yes, I will eventually pair her with a canon. Not sure which one yet, this is mostly just giving spotlight to Luna, the Weasley twins and Neville, a few others I enjoyed from the series.. And yes, it's me inserting myself into a world I wish were real. So, here it goes I guess. If you want, you can sort of suggest pairings for Carlie, I don't mind.++

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CHAPTER ONE

My mother's convertible pulled into the curb beside Kings Cross train station and I sat there quietly, stared at it, my teeth grazing my lower lip as my hand dragged through a thick mess of auburn curls. Neither one of us said anything, it still seemed too surreal to be true..

The magic school I'd previously attended in New Orleans was being forced by other Muggles, -outsiders who didn't understand the wizarding world or it's value and only thought that those with gifts were freaks or something to be feared – to close it's doors. The Wizarding world was in turmoil everywhere it seemed. In America, we were being forced to go totally underground. Here, there was the threat of some supreme being or something, they called him Voldemort.

And here I was, in my 4th year, about to start over completely in a school full of strangers, people I didn't know from adam, really. Not only that, I'd be going to a school where being a Muggle - _or a Mudblood, my mama says that here, they call you a Mudblood if you're like she and I are_ \- is not a good thing.

I'd be going to a school in which I couldn't just leave campus and go into town to the little shops and the arcade nearby at the end of the day whenever I wanted. Where any outsider technology you possess like a Walkman cassette player or even something as basic as a hair dryer **will not work** no matter how many times you charm it to do so.

I'd never felt more like an outsider than I did right now. But my mama was determined that I'd embrace my magic side, as her mother had raised her to do when she was my age and younger. She'd attended Hogwarts, she loved it.

I don't see how I will, I mean my Walkman won't work no matter what I do to it, I'm stuck on campus with a bunch of literal strangers and most likely **everyone will hate me**.But I'm also a big pessimist, so maybe that had a lot to do with all my concerns and doubts, all the fears I felt about going into Hogwarts in my fourth year as opposed to the normal nature of things, going in in my first year like probably everyone else had. _I'll be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, most likely_ , I thought to myself as I sighed and took a few deep breaths, looked over at my mama and I started to voice my concerns to my mama and she shakes her head, shushes me and says simply, "Things, cherie.. They happen for a reason. This school or the country it's in.. It isn't as bad as you've been reading in the Prophet issues Mama gets, you hear? It's a good place and for every bad person there are at least three good ones. So turn that frown upside down and stiffen that upper lip, little lady. Maybe this school will do you some good. You need new adventures in your life and now you're getting one. So be happy, cherie, not negative."

I started to tell her I honestly did not see how this classed as an adventure and not what it was, a disaster waiting to happen surely, but.. She nodded to the sleek glass and chrome revolving door at the station's front and then her watch as she pointed out, "Best get a move on, cherie. Can't have you missin that train on your first day."

Inwardly, I cringed. What if this place I was about to go to was like a prison? What if I hated it there? I didn't even have the luxury of my two best friends Simone and Courtney to fall back on now, I was totally alone. Well, not totally.. Two girls from the **worst** house on our campus had gotten selected to go to Hogwarts also and that I was dreading.

They made my life hell there.. If they got put into a house full of people who were like minded to them, I was dually fucked over.

It was with the greatest reluctance that I actually stepped out of my mama's convertible and into the crowd outside the station. I walked around to the rear of my mama's car and she opened the trunk, she helped me unload my things and then said with a bright grin, "It can't be all that bad, cherie.. I met your daddy here and he was a good man."

I sighed and shrugged. I wouldn't know whether he was a good man or not, he died before I was old enough to remember him. Sometimes at night when I'm sleepin, I dream of him but he's blurry and out of focus. But I wasn't too concerned with meeting a boy at my age, either. I'm just not.. I'm awkward. And clumsy.. And a bit of a sarcastic grump. And the two times before now that I have had a crush on a boy, well.. It went badly.

I threw up on one of them. I got so nervous when I went to try and strike up a conversation with him that I actually puked all over him. I'm not that bad anymore, but I still get tense, awkward.. and I've been known to stutter or clam up. It's frustrating. My mama, though.. When she was my age, she was this popular girl, she was pretty, she had a lot of friends.. Safe to say I'm nothin like that. But she tries to pull me out of my shell, she really does. It just doesn't work?

My mama held out my favorite brown engineer boots to me and I slid my feet into them. After she went through my extensive checklist one more time, she hugged me for what seemed like an hour but was only five and a half minutes and then she nudged me towards the station's entrance and said through her tears, "Go.. You're gonna be late, cherie. We'll owl every week, promise.. And holidays, we'll be together, either here with friends of mine from my days as a Hogwarts student or at home in our own little corner of the world. But this is just temporary goodbye, girl. Go on now, get a move on. Missin the train is not somethin you want to do and you know your mama's not one for goodbyes.. Neither are you."

I walked into the station and looked around warily. It was noisy, full of people. My brown eyes darted around, searching. I saw no one even remotely close to my own age.

With a sigh, I flopped down onto a bench and took out one of my issues of Seventeen and started to read it.

Loud noises and laughter from nearby caught my attention and I noticed a crowd of teenagers and younger children milling around near a brick column. The small square read 9 3/4ths and I realized that yes, this was apparently where I was to wait for the train that would come and take me to Hogwarts.

I smoothed my hands down my sundress and reluctantly made my way over, hovering around near the back of the line, tapping my foot nervously while twisting a strand of hair around my fingertips. Nobody seemed to notice me, I was slightly happy with that for the moment because I wasn't sure if they'd all hate me because I'm Muggle who happens to have magic in her blood somehow or if I'd actually make friends while here at school.

Moments passed and I'd sort of just been standing there, waiting, watching while the crowd in front of me shrunk in size after one by one they took turns running full speed with carts of their things in front of them at the brick wall. I felt a tap to my right shoulder and turned slightly.

"My toad.. It hopped over here.. Have you seen it?" the boy with dark hair and piercing green eyes asked me as he eyed me as warily as I was probably eying him at the moment. I heard a lazy croak near my foot and I bent slightly.

He bent at the same time and our foreheads smacked when we both tried to stand at the same time after I managed to catch his frog for him just before it hopped beneath a bench nearby. I held it out and managed a smile.

"I'm Neville." he said as he smiled back, this sort of awkward and lopsided grin coming to his face. It was endearing,really. Almost like he was being friendly, yet he was still somehow most definitely afraid of me. I smiled back and after I cleared my throat "I'm Carlie." I introduced myself quietly, waited for the questions to come, my accent not being British but instead a slow Southern drawl, an American accent. Not to mention, I stuck out like a sore thumb in the clothing I wore, a white sundress with a denim workshirt over it, sleeves rolled to my elbow and bottom of the shirt knotted at the middle, a pair of brown boots that I've had for so long I've almost forgotten where I got them. Or the piercings in my ears, my wrist full of braided and woven and handmade bracelets. I've yet to put on the unsorted robes that are usually reserved for first years, I didn't want to draw instant attention to myself like I've probably just done.

He blinked a little, the accent probably caught him off guard.

I heard my name being called from behind and I groaned inwardly, my entire posturing stiffened as soon as I heard Kristina and Janna approaching. "Just great." I grumbled, swearing a little. Neville stared at me a few moments and then turned his attention to the other two, looking at them warily before turning his gaze back to me and asking, "Do you know them?"

"If they fell into the ocean, Neville, it wouldn't totally hurt my feelings if they became shark bait." I said quietly, a frostier tone to my voice as I glared at Kristina and her trusty minion Janna, who were approaching me at a rapid speed. _This day just took a turn from only slightly bad to probably the worst one ever. I'd hoped that the two of them would mysteriously disappear or something over the summer, or that they'd find another school to attend, one like Beaubatons, Simone got in there. And she's much more capable of putting the two of them in their place than I am,_ I thought to myself as I crossed my arms.

"There she is! I told you, Janna.. She'd come too. It's not like the filthy little brat had any choice. Now we're stuck with the likes of her. Apparently, they'll let just about anybody into a school as prestigious as Hogwarts nowadays." Kristina spoke, giving me a scowl as Janna eyed Neville who stood next to me.

"I'm Janna." she wasted no time whatsoever in flirting with Neville, I noticed. I can't blame her, I mean Neville's definitely not an ugly boy.. I bit my lower lip and remarked with disdain, "Nobody really cares, Janna. So I guess that answers my question about you two morons then." as I looked from Kristina to Janna a moment, wondering why the hell I was baiting them, I mean seriously, did I just want to have the year from hell?

"What's that, hon?" Kristina asked.

I felt braver than I normally do, because normally? I would not bait them. I would walk away. I was on edge already given that I had to start all over again, make new friends in a place where it might just be impossible for me to do that very thing, so yes.. I may have done a stupid thing and snapped at her, retorted, " Well, if you insist on knowing, K.. I hoped you two would have a house fall on you over the summer?"

"And there it is that stunning bayou trash wit. Bless her little heart." Janna remarked as she leaned in and whispered something to Kristina. Kristina laughed and then leaned in, staring me down as she whispered, "I know people here, Morrison. And we're all going to make your life a living hell. My cousin Daphne and her friends cannot wait to make your life hell."

"Go ahead, K.. Try it. But you won't like the outcome. No more Ms. Nice Girl." I snapped, glaring back. Neville eased away, tense. It was an idle threat, of course, I'm too much of a coward to really do anything to either of the brainless twits in front of me.. _But maybe if I acted like I might_ , I thought to myself..

Kristina stepped back and she and Janna caught sight of a girl in Hogwarts robes and squealing, the two ran towards her. I palmed my forehead and grumbled, swore a little as I shook my head. The girl in Hogwarts robes must be the cousin she mentioned. At least I have a face now and a first name.. With any luck I can go above and beyond to avoid those two twits and their kin. With any luck.. Somehow I have this feeling it won't happen, but it's nice to hope.

"That went well." Neville remarked carefully.

"That went stellar. Just great.. Now I have the Ice queen and her braindead little minion to deal with on top of everything else." I grumbled while stomping as I tugged at my hair and repeated several times, "Stupid, stupid, stupid.. I am the stupidest of stupid girls."

"You were standing up for yourself." Neville mumbled, his tone came out more as a question than a statement though, brow raising as he looked at me.

"Yes, well, at my old school? If you stood up to Kristina Archer and Janna McDonald, Neville.. You were basically asking to have the year from hell. It's bad enough I'm.." I paused, biting my lower lip a moment as I fell silent.

After all, how did I really know he wouldn't turn on me when he discovered that I wasn't some Pureblood or half blood witch like everyone else he probably knew? I'd only just met the guy.

"You're what?"

"Nothing, Neville.. Just nervous is all.. I should try and get on the train now, I suppose." I said, walking away briskly, before I made things any more awkward between Neville and I - _or worse, I spilled the beans on my being a Muggle born i added mentally-_ , only to smash right into the back of a set of ginger males in a larger group of gingers with two brunettes standing quietly to one side. The ginger males turned and grinned brightly at me.

I stared up at them a few moments, my hand dragging slowly through long and thick auburn ringlets. Realizing that I'd smashed into them when they came to an abrupt stop in front of me and yes, it was my fault, I'm a klutz of the highest order apparently, I muttered quietly, "I'm.. Sorry, I was just trying to hurry and board the train so nobody saw me when I fall right over on my ass."

They snickered and stared at me a few moments and the one on the left, the one with the F stitched on his sweater said with a shrug, "Why would you fall right over on your arse?"

"Because maybe I've never boarded through an actual wall before? I'm not used to doing things this way." I deadpanned, biting my lower lip, anxious as hell. Today someone up above just seemed to really have it in for me. First with the run in with K and J and now I've gone and smashed into a couple of older boys who might just make me regret not watching my step.

"You sound different.. Say something else, ickle one." the one with an F commanded, a gleam in his eye as he crossed and uncrossed his arm, studied me with this curiousity in his eyes for a few moments.

The boy next to him, the one with a G on his shirt said quietly, "Fred, don't be an arse. But yes, she does sound different." as he smiled at me, our gazes held for a little while. I quickly averted my eyes because I didn't want him to think I was weird and staring or something.

"Something else." I muttered dryly as my cheeks burned. I found myself wishing suddenly that I'd just kept hidden and boarded the train **after** everyone else. So maybe I wouldn't have had to come into contact with anyone.

The boy with the G on his sweater snickered and nudged the boy with the F on his sweater and said with a cheeky grin, "She has to be a Ravenclaw. I'm calling it, Gred. If she's a first year and she's sorted, she'll be a Ravenclaw."

The other boy stared a few moments, shrugged and then remarked, "She could be a Gryffindor. She's too sarcastic and grouchy looking to be a Puff.. And nobody in their right mind wants to be a Slytherin.."

"Ravenclaw? Gryffindor? Puff? Slytherin?" I asked, my hand tangling in my hair, my head tilting to one side as I looked from male to male with a curious look in my eye.

"Houses.. Are you barmy? Is this a joke? Did Lee put you up to this for that prank we pulled end of last term?" the boy with the G on his clothes asked, giving me a grin.

The boy with the F on his clothes snickered and then said "Good one, Jordan, you can come out of hiding now.. Or Ron, if that's you, little brother." as he looked around, laughed and then looked at me.

His face changed slightly, to one full of curiousity when I gave him a blank look and stared at the brick wall I was apparently going to have to crash through to board the Express. "I'm not.. Joking I mean." I said quietly.

"I love her voice. But really, ickle one.. You can drop the fake accent now. You've done it, you've helped to prank the Weasley twins. But don't tell anyone, hear?" the boy with the F insisted. The boy with the G nudged him and shook his head then said in a slightly less than quiet whisper to his brother, "I think, brother, she's being serious.. Remember what we overheard Mum talking about? With that old friend of hers from school that lives in America now? About the American magic schools all being forced to close by Muggles? "

Muggles.. There was **that word** again. I grimaced, my teeth grazed my lower lip and I decided that yes.. I was going to keep my Muggle status to myself as best as I could here. If it was something that was going to hinder my making friends then yes.. I was going to shut my mouth about it.

"It's actually because the whole witch and wizard thing is sort of feared there by people in the government who obviously don't get it, but yes.. I'm one of them.. The Americans.." I said, proud of myself for avoiding the use of the word Muggle, as I tapped my foot, my eyes darted around before settling on the twins in front of me. They looked at each other and then back at me and then said in unison, "Wicked!" and began to try and talk at the same time, asking me all sorts of questions at rapid fire pace and it sort of overwhelmed me a little to be honest, so finally, I let a shrill whistle go as I tapped my boot against the stone flooring of the train station to get their collective atttention and looked up at them both, unamused.. They stopped and looked at me, amused looks on their faces as they said at the same time, "Yeah?" and I said quietly, "I need to get through that." as I pointed a badly chipped deep red polished index finger at the brick column everyone else had been running through.

They started to laugh and then the boy with the G explained in this gentle coaxing voice, _it sort of sent this slow burning lazy heat through my veins only to have it settle in the pit of my stomach I noticed with a slight shock_ , "Just watch us.. We'll tell our mum that we're helping you board too, yeah? You can come through with us. What year are you?"

"I'm a fourth year." I answered quietly, my skin burning hot with embarassment. As if it weren't already obvious I was an outsider here.. Now I was going to be one of three of the oldest students to probably ever be sorted into a house at Hogwarts. I wished for a moment that I had been able to attend my whole life. Maybe things would be a lot less awkward now.

The two of them looked at me a moment and went back to whispering, the one with the F on his shirt explained, "Our brother Ron.. He's that git standing over there," as he pointed to a taller and chubby cheeked male talking to the two dark haired teenagers standing in the midst of this literal sea of gingers before continuing, "And his friends, Harry and Hermione. They're fourth years too."

"Or as we call 'em, Potter and Granger.. But yes, they're in your year. So that's good, right?" The boy with the G explained, and again, his voice was sort of this soothing quiet and calm. He studied me for a few moments and the twins looked around, obviously looking for their mother, but before they could say anything, the ginger woman's shrill voice cut through and above all the chatter as she called out their names.

They went to her, whispering, looking back at me.. I shuffled my feet, my stomach churned nervously and a few moments later, the woman made her way over and she said with a small smile, "Just get between my boys, dear.. They'll help you through the wall. And they better not pull any tricks." as she looked at the twins and then back at me, giving me a slightly more reassuring yet still small smile. I think she's wary of me, after all, I'm from a totally different country, I dress differently, my voice sounds different.. _Or maybe_ , I thought to myself, _she can look at you and tell you're a Muggle and she dislikes that_.

I nodded quietly.

When it came time for the three of us to board, I squeezed my eyes shut and ran at the wall sandwiched between the ginger twins and when I opened my eyes again on the other side, I was standing on a train platform in front of the entrance door to the Express. I stepped onto the train and tried to find the ginger twins so I could thank them but they'd pretty much vanished.

I hurried to an empty cab and flopped onto a bench, shutting the door behind me firmly. And I let out a ragged breath.. If I'd already had this much happen to me.. What next?

 **CONTINUED**

The hat wasn't even on my head fully before it shouted out 'Ravenclaw!' as if it needed no thought to decide which house I'd spend the next three years of my life as a member of now. I stood and shuffled my feet, eyes darted around the Great Hall, and I found the Ravenclaw table at last. I hurried my way over, sat down in an empty seat at the end of the table, picking at my food.

Kristina went next and then Janna.

Both of them got Slytherin. Given the stories I've heard on the trip to the castle about that particular house.. The Sorting Hat is wise indeed. They're rotten, the both of them.

I'd started shuffling food around on my plate, eating as hurriedly as possible when the grand mahogany doors that lead into the Great Hall opened and in came two more large groups of students. The girl next to me tapped me and said in a girlish squeal, "There he is! Viktor Krum!"

I eyed the dark haired male a moment, rolled my eyes and muttered "Pretty sure he's nothing special."

"But he's.. He's Viktor."

"I'm sure he is."

"Do you even **know** who he is?"

"Nope. I don't really care to, either." I grumbled. The girl gave me a raised brow, turned to start talking to her friend who sat nearby. I went back to eating, grateful for the quiet..Until I felt something ping the edge of my ear. I looked down, saw a bread crumb. I eyed the crowded room, a scowl.

My eyes met with his dancing light brown eyes, he gave a little wave from the Gryffindor table. I managed a smile and mouthed, "Thank you both for helping me." as I nodded to both himself and his brother F.

That was that. I dropped my gaze and went back to my food and a few moments later, we were all spirited away to another room for something, I think I heard the headmaster announce that it was the choosing of the Triwizard Tournament champions.. I raised a brow for a moment and this quiet blonde sitting on the right of me leaned in and explained, "This year we're hosting the Tournament." in a dreamlike voice.

"What's that?" I asked, my mouth full.

"It's a competition between magic schools. There are different tasks, some of them can even be dangerous. But it's an honor to be chosen by the Goblet to compete. I'm Luna.. What's your name?"

"Carlie."

"There's a Yule Ball this year too." she added. I groaned inwardly. Just great.. We have a dance too? Social situations make me squeamish. I grimaced and she asked with a laugh, "What's wrong?"

"Just.. I've got two left feet? I think I'll skip it.. It's not like it's a big deal, right?" I muttered, biting my lower lip. I felt staring and my hand raised, brushed the back of my neck. I turned slightly and found no one staring at me. Shrugging it off, I went back to my food. Luna kept a conversation going fairly well and I tried, I really did, I sensed that she and I would become close friends.

 _If I kept my Muggle status hidden_ , I reminded myself.

She asked me at one point about where I came from and I described it all, smiling as I did so. I realized that as I spoke to her, I was already homesick. I missed Simone and Courtney, I missed my old dorm, I missed my mama and I missed our little cabin on the edge of the bayou.

Everything was different, unfamiliar. I felt like an outsider here.

And I got the very distinct feeling that yes it was going to be a long three years.

Luna and I sat in the middle of the crowd, watching the champions being chosen. As soon as I saw F and G again, I dropped my eyes, grumbled. I got this feeling that no.. They were not supposed to be entering their names into the Goblet of Fire. They were laughing entirely too much for one thing, for another, the girl next to me and Luna gasped a little and then said in an almost whisper, "Those idiots. They're really about to get it now." in a matter of fact tone.

Luna's bell like laughter came after a series of loud hisses and one big bang and it made my head snap up and I watched a shrunken and older set of white haired twins make their way back to their seats, swearing and blaming each other for their attempt having failed. I shook my head and turned to look back at them. My eyes caught G's again and I gave him a laughing smirk before turning back around to face the front.

The entire room I think froze when the name Harry Potter came out of the Goblet for Gryffindor. The headmaster looked angry.

Not too long after, we were all dismissed to go back to our dorms and Luna and I walked to the Ravenclaw commons room together, talking. She told me about her home, about the Nargles and how I should really watch out for them and a few other things.

The crowd in front of us on the moving staircase had stopped moving and I found myself thrust into the back of a taller boy in front of me when the staircase started to pull away and seperate the crowd. I was thisclose to falling, but Neville turned and gripped my hand quickly, pulled me onto the side of the staircase that he happened to be standing on. I wound up almost knocking us both over.

I tell you, I'm clumsy if I'm anything.

"It's better not to stand between the landings like you were. The staircase likes to move around." he said as he looked over me and then said "You're okay." after staring at me a few moments. I bit my lower lip and nodded then said "I was talking to Luna and I didn't see..."

"You've got to pay attention. Close attention." he scolded gently. I nodded and then the stairs started to shift back to their original shape. I jumped quickly over to where Luna and one or two others stood and waved at Neville as the crowd of Gryffindors made their way into their own commons room.

Once Luna and I were inside the Ravenclaw dormitory, we quickly decided that we'd bunk together. Another girl, I'd seen her with a boy in the Hufflepuff house, her name was Cho, I found out.. She decided to take the third bed in the room.

I unpacked my things and put on a pair of pajamas quickly, flopped onto the deep blue covered bed and let out a loud grunt.

"It has been one hell of a day."

"And it's only your first day here." Cho remarked, asking me "What was your old school like?"

"We got to come and go whenever.. There were boys and girls dorms, we weren't divided into houses.. I mean we had different teams and colors, but it wasn't like here. There was one large common area, it had games and stuff..." I fell silent, bit my lower lip as I looked from Cho to Luna then back again.

"We only get a few weekends a year to go down to Hogsmeade. You'll love it. It's always fun. You did get your parents to give consent.. Right?" Cho asked, another girl down further in the room speaking up to add, "I hope George asks me to go with him this year. He's dreamy."

I nodded, I vaguely remember my mother signing consent for me and then going all soft eyed and telling me that Hogsmeade was where she and my father had one of their first dates and that I would not want to miss it, it was fun, especially around the holidays.

I suspect, however, if it's where people go on dates, I'll be doing a lot of bunkering down in the library. Because I'm not pretty and when you factor in my awkwardness and clumsiness.. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

I'm just **not like** my mother. I wish it weren't so, but.. I'm not. And you can't put sugar on crap and call it a chocolate cake.

"She signed. I doubt I go."

"Oh come on, why not? You can go with Cedric and I.. Or Luna. She always goes. Maybe if someone goes with her she won't lose track of time wandering." Cho teased the blonde, my new friend Luna. Luna grumbled a little and then said with a smile, "But you should go. It is fun. I like going into the candy store myself."

I smiled at that and then opened my trunk, pulled away the entire bottom layer of my clothing and books and sketch pads and colored pencils to reveal quite the stockpile of Muggle sweets. "I have a vicious sweet tooth."

The fourth girl in our dorm room spoke up and stated "If I were you, Carlie.. I'd never speak of your candy stockpile around Ronald Weasley. He'd eat it all. He never stops eating it seems like." to which I nodded and dug around, grabbing a bag of jelly beans, holding them out.

"They're sort of like your Bertie Botts.. Just no ear wax flavors."

I tore the bag open with my teeth and sprinkled hand fulls into the other girls hands and Cho grimaced, spat into her hand, and then said "That one, whatever it was.. It was worse."

"Licorice. I hate those, they're the worst."

The fourth girl held up the makeup kit my mama insisted I buy and asked, "This is? Ooh.. I hope you know I'm using this, this spray on stuff smells yummy. Like cookies or something."

I snatched for it and grumbling said "Makeup. My mama, she bought all that and sent it with me. I'll most likely throw it out.. Unless one of you wants to use it?"

"Keep it, that's one of the best ones I've seen. It has everything in it." the fourth girl said as she smiled at me. For a moment, I got hopeful that maybe I wasn't the only Muggle here. I couldn't be. There had to be more of us. I smiled back, warily and then said "Okay, so sit it on the desk there or something. Fat lot of good it'll do me, I don't wear the stuff. Breaks me out."

"You don't use it?"

"No. I'm too damn lazy to be bothered. It takes me long enough, girls, just waking up each morning." I explained.

Cho looked at my hair and then asked, "So that.. It's natural? I thought you might have gotten it to do that."

"It's natural. And I'm the only girl I know who can go swimming and come away looking like a poodle dog with their fingers in a light socket." I explained, laughing.

"I think it's pretty." Luna said quietly. I smiled and then nodded to her hair and said "I wish my hair were exactly like yours. I've tried once to make mine that straight.. It wouldn't stay."

We were all unpacking our clothes and going through each others things and talking. _Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad_ , I finally managed to convince myself a little as I drifted off to sleep for the night.


	2. Saturday

++ NOTES AND THANK YOUS FIRST GUYS: OMG I HAD A REVIEWER/FOLLOWER! SO HAPPY! THANKS MISTERBOOKWORM. I'M THRILLED THAT YOU (ANYONE READING THIS WHO LIKES IT, REALLY) ENJOY THIS SO FAR! Okay, so this chapter sort of brings in two or three more ocs, but they're sort of side characters for the story? If that makes sense. Mattie is based on my sister and Courtney(coco) and Simone are based on friends of mine. They won't be main track players, so they won't have pairings. I forgot to mention that yes, if you like, you can help me pick a guy for Carlie. This is going to be AU either way it goes (because I don't have the heart to kill Fred a second time so that's deffo going to change) so it can be a Weasley twin, Neville..Don't be shy, if you think someone fits of them, tell me. I'm sort of playing it both ways right now, covert glances and all that cute awkward stuffs.. ++

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CHAPTER TWO

I grunted as the sensation of being sat on brought me out of my sleep and peeking through one sleep filled eye I raised a brow. The fourth girl in our room, a girl named Mattie, was sitting on me with Cho and Luna standing there snickering about it.

"She's awake.. And she does not look happy to be awake." Cho said as she looked over Mattie's shoulders at me and then asked, " Are you going to actually go down and eat breakfast, Carlie, or are you just going to wait until breakfast becomes the evening meal?" as Mattie got off me and I sat up, yawning, my fingers tangling in hair that was probably sticking up every which way.

I panicked internally. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after 8." Cho answered.

Swearing, I shot up out of bed and groaned internally again when I realized that it was almost time for breakfast to stop being served. Cho spoke up and pointed out, "Just come on. It's the weekend, won't matter if we're dressed when we go down to get our breakfast. Besides, Luna and I said we'd show you around the grounds and the castle today.. Since it is Saturday."

My heart climbed down out of my throat after hearing Cho say that and I realized that we'd arrived on a Friday night. And that now we had two whole days before classes officially started for the term. "I can't go down like this, I'm.. It's my pajamas."

"And we'll put ours on. Now come on already. We waited on you to wake up." Mattie whined as she spritzed on the body spray that sat on the desk. I looked down at my pajamas, a pair of violet silk ones and a white camisole top. I hugged myself and then said "At least let me find my cardigan or something I feel naked."

I grabbed a violet colored cardigan, waited on my room mates. We made our way down the stairs and past groups of fully dressed people milling around at which point I shot Cho and Mattie dirty looks. Luna did too and finally, we were seated around the Ravenclaw table in the Great Room.

Again, I felt it.. This intense staring from somewhere in the room. And again, I looked up and saw no one really looking at me. My mind reasoned that it was probably Kristina or Janna being stupid, probably making fun of my roommates and I because we'd come down to eat in our pajamas.

But we weren't the only ones, I noticed plenty of others, mostly older students, who were also still half asleep, wearing pajamas and poking and prodding at bowls of cereal or oatmeal. I grabbed for sugar to go on my oatmeal and Mattie nudged me.

The sugar in my hands went into my lap and I swore as I stood to dust it off. I quickly sat back down, blushing, embarassed. I haven't gotten used to any of these people yet and I'm awkward at best. My old school was so crowded that nobody barely noticed when I did the stupid things I tended to do on accident, but here in the Great Room?

There were few enough people that yes, a few of them noticed my little episode.

"You have got to relax." Cho said with a laugh. I muttered through a mouth full, "I am relaxed."

"If you were wound any tighter, Carlie, you'd explode." Mattie pointed out as she remembered what she'd nudged me for and nodded in the direction of the Gryffindor table. I looked in the direction she'd nodded and saw Neville and two other boys who looked away just when I did turn around. Neville and I held eye contact and I smiled and gave him a wave. He'd been sweet enough to save me from the moving staircase the night before. He seemed like a sweet guy, a little shyer than most.. _And he was handsome,_ I added mentally, _most definitely handsome._

"Were you just flirting? With Longbottom?" Mattie asked, my hand going to her mouth because I'm starting to see that Mattie is nothing if not loud when she talks. I ducked a little and shook my head, said through a mouth full, "Holy hell.. All I did was smile, girl. Shhh!"

Cho giggled and Luna said in a quiet and dreamlike voice, "He's a sweet boy. I think it would be nice if a girl liked him." and looked at me. I groaned inwardly, somehow I got the distinct feeling that the three of them were going to be the kind of friends that liked matchmaking schemes. Kind of like Coco and Simone were.

I missed my two lifelong best friends more than ever right now, they'd both gotten into Beaubatons. I heard my name being hissed across the Great Hall and a smile spread across my face as soon as I realized who was doing the hissing.

A few minutes later, I was being squeezed until I could not breathe as Simone and Coco talked over one another excitedly. I introduced them to my roommates and they smiled, the six of us started talking as we walked out of the Great Room.

"Quidditch practice.. You have to come with us to watch it!" Cho insisted, Luna and Mattie nodding in agreement. And so the six of us made our way over to the Quidditch pitch. Gryffindor's team was on the field and my hand went to my mouth as I realized that not only F & G but apparently their brother Ron who was in my year, were on the Quidditch team.

"Oh.. Wow.. There is no way in hell I could play this game."

"Why not? Quidditch is fun. I'd play if I weren't so rotten on a broom." Mattie mused.

Courtney and Simone shared a look and then snickering Courtney explained, "Carlie's afraid of heights."

Eyes shifted to me and I said quietly, "What? I've fallen out of trees before. And my broomstick in our first year flying lesson, Coco, you saw what it did."

"Because K and J did something to it, Carlie."

"Still, it dangled me at least a story in the air!" I hissed, looking at my friends.

Cho and Mattie laughed and Luna giggled a little too and finally, I wound up laughing about it as I added, "In my defense though. K and J probably wouldn't have had to do anything to my broom. I'm clumsy."

"We know." the rest of them all said together. I scowled and crossed my arms, a playful way about it, I mean I don't mind admitting I'm nothing if not clumsy.

"Have you seen the wicked witches?" Coco asked after we'd all sort of spread out in the stands looking out over the pitch. I nodded and said sourly, "Yesterday. And apparently, girls, they have family here."

"Figures. Don't feel bad though, I mean that one girl Darcy wound up coming to Beaubatons with us, you know how she always tried to be one of them. She's worse now, she actually has her own little minions." Simone muttered as we watched practice intently.

When practice ended, we were walking off the field when I spotted F and G making their way off the field and into a tent. Just as he went in, G and I held gazes a moment. I waved covertly and Cho, Mattie and Luna decided that yes, a walk around the grounds was in order.

We were standing in the edge of the Black Lake when I saw Neville come through the bushes on the other side. I watched him a few moments and tore my gaze away after muttering dumbly, "Yeah" at something Coco said that I didn't even actually hear.

"So that's it girls, we've gotten her to agree to sneak out for a dip." Coco said. My head snapped up and I said "Are you insane? There's a squid in this lake."

"Oh come on.. It won't kill you, Car."

"Yeah, c'mon, girl.. It's no worse than swimmin with the gators like we did at our old school." Simone whined, begging me. I grumbled and then said "Okay, alright, fine.. Cho? Mattie? Luna? Are you guys coming with?"

"Sure."

"Maybe that's not such a good idea, I mean.."

"It is a little hot.."

I think Mattie made the first splash and it all went downhill from there. In the middle of our impromptu water fight, I happened to look up and my eyes met Neville's. I smiled and he snickered a little, shook his head and disappeared back in the direction in which he'd come from. By the end of our water fight, all of us went back to our respective dorms, soaked and laughing, dripping as we walked down the corridor.

I flopped across my bed when we were back in our dorm room and then said with a laugh, "And now you guys know.. I'm not tightly wound."

"Okay, so you're not as tightly wound as I thought, America." Mattie joked gently as we worked on drying out our hair.

Luna laughed a little and admitted, "That was fun. I don't really know why I haven't thought of doing it before. It was just a little water fight."

"Yeah, well.. If we'd have gotten caught we probably would have all gotten detention. With Snape.. He's scary." Cho admitted quietly. I nodded and then asked, "How scary?"

"You'll see, he's our Potions teacher." Cho replied, smiling at me, laughing when I gaped and gave her a partially horrified look. Mattie cleared her throat and then asked, "So.. Noticed you and Longbottom doing the staring thing."

"We were not! I was smiling, he'd smiled at me. Okay, sort of. But to be honest, the poor guy looks like he's terrified of me."

"He's terrified of the female species as a whole, I think.. He's painfully shy either way, it's cute, but.." Cho trailed off as she heard her name being called in the commons room. When she'd walked out, Mattie said with a smile, "She probably will not be back until later.. Cedric's always making someone come in and get her, they take walks for hours and talk or something."

"It's sweet." Luna said as I nodded and brushed out my hair, scowling when it started to frizz like it always seems to when it's been wet and is drying again. "Ughh.. My hair looks so bad."

"It doesn't."

"It's actually pretty like that."

"Mattie, I look like I got electrocuted."

"Okay, so a little frizz."

"No, Mattie, I literally look like there's a Chia thing growing out of my scalp."

We laughed and went into the commons room for a while, mostly we sat around talking and attempting to play Wizards Chess. Which I apparently suck at.


End file.
